In order to better facilitate scaling up of classroom innovations, two complementary strategies have often been discussed. The "community-based strategy" emphasizes the necessity for professional learning communities and their embedding in institutional settings. The "material-based strategy" starts from well-designed teaching…

This research investigated what the term Quality Physical Education (QPE) meant to Health and Physical Education (HPE) teachers in Australian Capital Territory (ACT) schools. A total of 14 HPE teachers who taught middle school or above, representing government and independent schools, took part in focus group interviews about their understanding…

The Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, a research-based seminal work, provides a structure for integrating a collaborative constructivist approach in course design, implementation, and evaluation. The CoI framework suggests that by fostering three essential elements -- social presence, cognitive presence, and teaching presence -- a community of…

The purpose of the paper was to investigate how collaboration and mutual support as the processes established by communities of practice to improve continuing professional teachers' development in high schools. This study is essential as it helped teachers to see the importance of working as teams through mutual support given to each other to…

This paper aims to identify the current state of knowledge management (KM) diffusion in LIS schools. In terms of content, we have identified two principal approaches to the perception of KM in the LIS community: an active approach, seeing KM as an opportunity for the LIS community to change; and a passive approach, seeing KM merely as a topic of…

This chapter describes a faculty learning community formed at our university, in partnership with local Indigenous communities, as part of our response to Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action. We interviewed participants about their experiences in this group, including their challenges and transformations.

The sandwich problem described in this article would likely be considered more appropriate for third grade or above. However, as members of the research team for a lesson study involving teachers from kindergarten through fourth grade, the authors saw kindergarten students rise to the challenge. The authors invite readers to review two scenarios,…

This short paper outlines the design and development of a multi-phase, cross-institution Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW) program that was conceived by educational developers from five higher educational institutions in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The initiative is grounded in the belief that implementing the ISW program in the Halifax Regional…

This article outlines how a community of practice can be designed within management education for effective leadership development. Through a qualitative study of a cohort of 25 owner-managers of small businesses, we explore how a program community of practice (PCoP) acts as a pedagogical device for focusing on the development of leadership…

This paper is aimed at exploring teachers' perceptions and practices of peer support in Bangladeshi primary schools. It also looks into the contrast between the perceptions and practices, and the underlying reasons behind such deviations. The study collects data from teachers who are undergoing a large-scale teacher development project called…

Transformative leaders are committed to values and outcomes that serve the long-term interests of society (Caldwell, Dixon, Floyd, Chaudoin, Post, & Cheokas, 2012). The Oaks Leadership Scholars Program is rooted in the premise that the transformation of self, required to become a transformative leader, can be supported through development of…

The use of social media in initial teacher education offers connection to a community of learners. As teacher educators we planned to use Twitter with pre-service teachers (PSTs). But at the end of the semester it was revealed that PSTs insisted on using a different platform; offering valuable perspectives and insights into the boundaries that are…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework on students' perspectives of an online Kinesiology course. A Health-Related Fitness and Wellness course, an introductory Kinesiology class in the California State University, was converted to an online format using the CoI framework. Results showed…

School communities are looking for new and innovative ways to educate children. One effective reform strategy that schools are using to better prepare teachers to meet these needs is the development of professional learning communities. Much of the literature presented in this area focuses on teachers and their growth as collaborative working…

Help your PLC+ group to work "wiser," not harder. This practical guide to planning and implementing PLC+ groups in a collaborative setting is designed to equip professional learning community teams with the tools they need to work effectively toward improving student learning. Designed as an accompanying resource to "PLC+: Better…